Of Gold in Silver Seas
by Ruby Took
Summary: *Completed* Gandalf's young apprentice, Rai, now must decide whether she is to go across the Sea with Gandalf or stay in Middle-Earth. Set after the war of the ring.
1. Walk through the woods

Authors note: This idea came to me late one night when I didn't have any time to write it so I've been saving it in my head for quite a while. I've also done a lot of research on quenyan and elvish and what not so I get it just right.  
  
Disclaimer :I don't own Lord of the Rings or anyone therein (except for my witch-chick in this story). I wonder why we have to write disclaimers if it's soooo obvious we don't own lord of the rings, never have never will.  
  
Enjoy and please review when you're done! Remember, no reviews, no story! And flames will be used to burn Rai's trees-gone-wrong.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sunrai walked silently on the golden bed of leaves, not making the slightest sound. As she walked deeper into the woods, she looked up at the flowing canopy above, and walked to a sunspot where she looked up at the heavens as sparkles of dust floated down. She let the sun shine on her face, let it's warmth flow throw her body before she continued along the path.  
  
As she went she would occasionally sweep her hand over the soft leaves on the ground or over a tree branch, and from her and would spring a golden light from which a bud would blossom and become a beautiful glowing flower. From the forest floor vines and roots would spring in her path, and particles of sun would come together and form elegantly patterned butterflies.  
  
She finally reached a sparkling clearing, mostly shaded by the trees, but with a single stream of sunlight flowing down to the centre of the space. There, bathed in sunlight, was a small niphredel, the white winter flower. It was small, smaller than any of the other blossoms, and all alone. So Sunrai knelt by this small star in the grass and cupped her hands and put them in the sunlight. She left them there for a moment, letting them fill with the stardust and sparkles. Then she moved to put them over the flower. She whispered a few words, and suddenly from beneath her gentle touch gold and white light burst forth in a sea of stars and as she rose quickly the niphredel began to grow taller, to expand and blossom in fast forward in all its splendour. Its petals grew and became almost like wings, shining like crystal but as gentle as a feather. The leaves grew and flushed a beautiful emerald colour that reflected off the brook that ran past the edge of the clearing.  
  
It grew until it was taller than her, until it was the most magnificent thing in the dew covered meadow. Satisfied with her work, Sunrai smiled and turned to walk away from her accomplishment. The trees whispered after her and the wind followed her, making her cape billow outward. She loved this so much that she stopped along the path and just stood there, arms outstretched, until she was met by a ray of light and lifted up into the air, floating serenely, held up by millions of amber particles flying around. Finally, when the wind got louder, she descended back to the bed of leaves and petals on the ground and continued on the path.  
  
The woods had seemed empty to her, except for of course the trees and the wind and the flowers. They were always there. Always had been and always would be. But the forest was fading, little by little, it was so sad, she could see it day by day. Just like it's people.  
  
She emerged into the summer sunlight and turned back to the forest. The line of trees seemed to by calling her, bidding her farewell. "Vanya sulie," they seemed to say. Sunrai smiled and raised her hand in farewell. Her hand shimmered with light until a small star formed her palm. Then she brought it close to her lips and blew gently, so that it flew on the wings of the wind and into the forest. The trees shivered, and went still.  
  
Sunrai lowered her hand. "Fair winds," she whispered, and turned away for the last time.  
  
  
  
  
  
Authors endnote: This was just an experiment chapter to let my character develop in terms of..I don't know, whatever complicated things are floating around in my head. In any case, this is just the beginning chapter, almost the prologue, and even if I don't get any reviews I'm going to at least do the second one. Please R & R. 


	2. Due west: A rest in Rivendell

Author's note: No reviews yet, but I can live with that, seeing as how I only put it up a few hours ago. Anyway, this is my second chapter, but my first officially long one. So I'll shut up now. Enjoy!! Oh yeah, and sorry the quenyan words aren't in italic but I still don't know how to fix this. Whenever I put a word in Italic ff.net always screws it up! And if you want to know any of the elvish used in this chapter or others, just ask in a review!!  
  
Pictures: Yes, I'm doing pictures with this story!!!! If you wanna see the pics, all you have to do is go here: http://ca.geocities.com/pippin_took12/ pippinsphotopage.html Its two very cute pics of Rai (im telling you, im a good drawer) and some other ones, including some of the hobbits and one funny one of Legolas (I don't know if that ones up yet..) but be kind enough to check 'em out if your not going to read the story!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, still nobody but Rai. Oh yeah, and that crazy elf girl (kidding, she's not crazy, she's just a little . excited . )  
  
  
  
  
  
Sunrai mounted her horse and looked into the foggy distance. It had been sunny not long ago, but there was a grey fog beginning to crawl over the northern lands. She decided she better ride fast if she was get tot her destination before it became too dense to navigate.  
  
"Asca, Silpion, asca," Rai commanded, urging her grey-white stallion Silpion northward. Her horse began to gallop obediently, occasionally stopping to catch its bearings. Silpion was a very fast horse, a Rohan-bred steed used as a war-stallion in Gondor before it passed to Rai. It had been named after the Eldest Tree, the silver one.  
  
Rai's thoughts wandered as they rode through the mist. She drifted away from herself so much that it was only too late when he realized Silpion had stopped. He was lost.  
  
Rai looked around, calm but worried. Silpion knew his way around and was very well trained. For him to get lost was most unusual. He moved from side to side and whined nervously.  
  
Rai leant forward and tried to whisper words of comfort in his ear, but he would not hear of it. He began to gallop back and forth on the spot. This disturbed Rai even more. He was always very obedient and did whatever she said. There was obviously something wrong for him to be like this. The only way to get him under control was to cast a spell.  
  
Rai summoned up her energy and closed her eyes. She pulled on Silpion's reigns tightly. "N'tess uuvanimo," she whispered, then said it again louder.  
  
Silpion abruptly stopped moving and quieted down. The charm she had used was a hold charm, a binding charm which she had learnt a long time ago. She could hold any beast or man still for as long as she wanted.  
  
That alone took up a lot of her energy. In addition to the charms she had used back in the forest she was already getting tired. She didn't know if she had the strength to clear the fog.  
  
As a young girl one of the first things she had been trained in was the art of being a weatherworker, a wizard or witch with the ability to control the weather and manipulate it to their will.  
  
Now as she tried to think of a spell fit for the situation, she didn't notice as the fog began to spread out and pale spots of grass appeared, and the sky appeared above her while the heavy mist dissolved.  
  
She finally noticed, and confused, she looked around quickly, waiting to see some sign that would give away her position. What she didn't expect was a grey figure begin to take shape in front of her eyes. The figure began to move forward, shrouded in haze. The shadow went from grey and suddenly to brilliant white. Rai took off her hat and bowed her head.  
  
"Hodoer," she murmured in elvish. "Master Gandalf."  
  
Gandalf smiled as he watched his apprentice dismount her horse and lower her head respectively. He approached her and spoke.  
  
"Vedui'" Gandalf said, and Rai raised her head.  
  
"Greetings," she responded.  
  
Gandalf looked back in the direction she had come from. "Have you given Lothlorien some new art for it's collection?"  
  
Rai blushed slightly. She often went to the Golden Wood to perfect her craft. "Yes," she mumbled.  
  
Gandalf nodded. "Well that fog was quite unexpected, wasn't it? Come, Shadowfax is waiting. We are bound for Rivendell."  
  
Rai felt her heart leap with excitement. She had been to Rivendell a lot lately, but it was still a marvel to her. She would wander along the halls aimlessly, finding rooms and corridors she had never seen before, or practice archery outside with the elves or help them grow things, even show off her techniques to the younger ones. But at the moment what she really needed was a good rest and something to eat.  
  
She climbed onto Silpion and rode forward to meet Shadowfax. The two horses were obviously glad to see each other and be in free clear air. The neighed anxiously.  
  
Gandalf mounted his steed and they set off. Shadowfax was considerably faster than Silpion, but they kept pace side by side and rode forward keeping parallel to the Misty Mountains on the western side. Finally when it was time, they veered eastward and past the Ford of Bruinen to the great elvin home.  
  
They passed freely through the forest and rode up to the stables. They dismounted their horses and as Gandalf proceeded upstairs, Rai took the Rohirrim steeds to be fed and watered.  
  
As walked into the stables and began to tend to the beasts, she thought she heard footsteps behind. They were hardly audible on the hay, and they were not the heavy footsteps of a human but the light as a feather tip toes of an elf.  
  
Rai kept her back to the shadow and summoned her staff into her hand. She often kept her staff as a pendant around her neck, but when she needed it to perform great magic she could summon it with one quick word.  
  
Now that she had it in her hand she whipped around with unnatural speed and grace and with perfect aim brought the pointed tip of her staff to the intruders throat. She nearly dropped it when she realized who it was.  
  
"Le.Legolas." she stuttered, staring wide-eyes at the Prince of Mirkwood. She didn't really know him and had only met him on a few occasions, but was greatly fascinated with the elf and his skill in archery. He had once given her a lesson and she had been overwhelmed by his talent. Then again, he had had hundreds of years of practice.  
  
He put the tip of his finger gently on the staff and lowered it away from his throat. "I'm sorry if I took you by surprise.well, actually, you took me by surprise.but I was wondering if you wanted to walk along outside."  
  
"Oh." Rai thought for a moment. No one had asked anything of her upstairs and she didn't feel like running around the halls with the young ones, so she gratefully accepted his offer and they walked down to the river.  
  
"Wait for me!!" A voice came floating down from the hill and a young elf maiden clad in the green and brown of Mirkwood came running toward them. Rai raised an eyebrow and Legolas smiled.  
  
The she-elf reached them and stopped abruptly, leaning over and trying to catch her breath. "I've been looking for you everywhere," she said to Legolas, giving him a dirty look. "Are you avoiding me?"  
  
Legolas laughed. "No.should I be?" They laughed at that and the elf brushed it off. Then Legolas turned to Rai.  
  
"Rai, this is an old friend of mine from Mirkwood, Nevnarien. She is travelling with me at the moment. Nevnarien, this is whom I spoke to you about, Mithrandir's apprentice, Mithithil, or Sunrai."  
  
Rai laughed. "I have many names, Legolas of Mirkwood, but Rai is good enough." She turned to Nevnarien. "Mae govannen, arwen en amin." Nevnarien smiled. "You're not bad. It is a pleasure to meet you too, my lady istar."  
  
"Come now," Legolas interrupted, "Let's go around to the clearing and see how well your archery skills have improved, Rai."  
  
"Ascarer," Nevnarien muttered.  
  
"Hey those are some pretty bad elvish words you're using there, my friend," Rai commented, and they all laughed.  
  
They made their way through the winding paths out into a beautiful sparkling clearing similar to the one Rai had been wandering through in Lothlorien. It was already decorated with vines and flowers from Rai's previous visits and other flora the elves had planted.  
  
There were stumps and circles of wood standing upright along the edge of the trees. There were already bows and a few quivers full of arrows. Rai picked one up and selected a long wooden bow crafted with the elegance of the Lothlorien elve's technique and ornately decorated. She tested the string and nodded.  
  
Nevnarien and Legolas each selected their own. Then they formed a row facing the targets and began.  
  
Legolas shot first with perfect hand-eye coordination and skill, resulting in a bull's-eye. Nevnarien did the same. She turned and looked down to Rai. She smirked.  
  
Rai's heart filled resentment toward this proud elf who had so confidently challenged her. What did she know of Rai's skill? Rai could outshoot her any day.  
  
Rai smiled back mischievously, accepting the challenge. She selected the finest arrow she could find and inserted it in her bow. She drew back and took careful aim, keeping both her eyes open. Then she released.  
  
The bow whizzed though the air at amazing speeds, but the elve's eyes still followed it with careful precision. Legolas gasped and Nevnarien caught her breath.  
  
Rai had not aimed for her own target, but for Nevnarien's. The arrow had hit the target bang in the middle, slicing clean through Nevnariens arrow. The pieces fell away.  
  
Legolas turned to Rai, a look of amazement on his face. Nevanrien looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "You shoot well, Dinaer. We will meet again on the field." With that the proud elf turned around and walked away.  
  
Legolas watched her go, then turned to Rai. "Please excuse her, she doesn't losing very well."  
  
"I see that," Rai said, looking to the trees. "Silent one? Is that supposed to be an insult or something?"  
  
Legolas chuckled. "Probably according to her. Come, let us go back to the stables and saddle our horses. You are to depart westward into Eriador with Master Gandalf before dusk and I am to accompany you to the border of our lands."  
  
Rai looked sullen for a moment. "He's leaving, isn't he?" she asked quietly.  
  
Legolas didn't say anything, but looked down and shrugged. "I'm not certain."  
  
Rai suddenly looked straightforward at him, her eyes sparkling with tears. "Do you know what happened when we met?"  
  
Legolas nodded. "I have heard the tale before."  
  
Rai shuddered, tears trickling down her cheeks. "After everything was lain to waste, after everything was burned, everyone chased away, he came, and he began to fix it. And then he found me and.and." She paused. "And he took me in and told me I would be Sunrai. 'I want to be like you, Gandalf,' I told him. He laughed at me, but happily. 'Ah, my young friend, you are not like me, not yet. When the toils and disasters and tragedies, along with the joyousness of life take their toll upon, when you truly experience them, when you are worn and battered and Grey, then you will be like me. But for now, you are clear and pure, not yet scratched or wasted. You are Silver. You are Sunrai the Silver.'" Rai lowered her head.  
  
Legolas, filled with pity and sadness for this young and abandoned being, this human who was not completely human, this wizard, walked over and put an arm around her shoulder. "It's alright, my friend."  
  
Rai wiped her face and shrugged him off gently. "Let's go back," she whispered.  
  
They turned and slowly walked through the shimmering woods towards Rivendell.  
  
  
  
  
  
Authors endnote: Cute, huh? I really wanted to put this chapter up for the picture's sake so I could get them up too. Anywayz, please review, I'm dying for reviews, PLEASE!!! Next chapter coming soon ^_^ 


	3. Banishing the storm: journey to the West...

Authors note: *yawn* Nope, still no reviews, but I can live with that (maybe I need to make the summary more exciting . . .) Anyway, the link I gave on the last chapter didn't come out, an as a bonus the website itself is screwed, so plz never mind that. I might try putting a pic into the document itself, but I dunno if that'll work. Oh well, might as well try. also, I have another story in the works, " Light in the Darkness" which I'm like halfway done, but 'm taking a halt from it to accomplish this one. I have a total writers block for my other story, plus with school and everything there's not much time to work on stuff. So enjoy this while you can, cuz there might not be another one for a long time.^_^  
  
  
  
Disclaimer : I don't own Lotr or anything to do with it ... no wait I do own Sam's frying pan ... but nothing else ... oh yeah, and Rai is mine (she does my gardening; she's so nice ^_^)\par  
  
  
  
Chapter three: In which Rai get irritated with the weather, a spell is woven, and Legolas leaves their company.  
  
  
  
  
  
The sunny day began to darken as clouds threw themselves over the warming glow of the sky. Black clouds from the Western shores. It was plain to Rai that riding West into Eriador was not going to be all that pleasant. She wrapped herself up in her cloak and tossed her hood over her shiny black hair. Her white-streaked bangs blew over her face and the wind howled menacingly.  
  
She, Gandalf and Legolas had departed from Rivendell not too long ago. They were holding a steady course west and had just crossed over the Loudwater. They were now directly south of Trollshaw.  
  
Rai, who had never been so far north-west, muttered and cursed the horrible weather. It had been just perfect in Rivendell. Why did it have to go wrong now?  
  
She blinked and suddenly realized she was shivering. She let go of Silpion's reigns and cupped her hands together. "Bragollach el'llach," she whispered, which in elvish meant fireball. She watched as a small flame began to flicker in her palms and soon grew wide and warm.  
  
Rai brought it close to her face and savoured its comfort. Right then, as she closed her eyes and relaxed, a massive thundercrack tore the sky open, illuminating the Misty Mountains to the East and the flat land they were crossing now. Rai, startled to death, nearly jumped off her horse. As she was trying futily to bring her heart rate down, more thunder was heard and the clouds released a sudden and violent torrent of rain. It poured down extremely hard and Rai's flame dissolved into nothingness before her eyes. She stifled a scream of frustration and passed into a long angry speech of curses in her native tongue that slowly died away to muttering and grumbling.  
  
Legolas looked at her quizzically and shrugged. He didn't know that back in her home town rain was a curse and a blessing at the same time. Gentle warm rains helped the crop grow and soothed the scorching heat, but torrents and storms tore the roofs from their houses and destroyed the precious fields.  
  
Rai's home town was far away in the east, south of the Lonely Mountain and Lake Town. As a child she had often wandered into Mirkwood, despite the superstitions of her people, and had seen the elves a few times, which greatly fascinated her. But she barely remembered it now; it had been so long since her village had been laid to waist, since Gandalf had taken her in.  
  
Gandalf, for the most part, had barely spoken to her lately. Back when she was younger they would often ride together from Gondor and the Southern cities all the way up to Fangorn to see the Ents, or they would spend days and weeks in Minas Tirith, studying the ancient lore and writings and exploring new spells and craft. But lately Gandalf had been very withdrawn; and this had Rai terribly worried.  
  
When she had first heard about Gandalf's plan, she had been shocked. It had been late in the day and they were in Minas Tirith, Gandalf having said he had some important things to attend to with King Elessar. Without Gandalf knowing, Rai had followed him along the great hallways and corridors of gold and silver into a small chamber where the King was waiting. At first they had talked very little, and most of it had been about happenings in the North or the situation of the elves leaving Middle-Earth, and Rai had begun to feel as if she had come for nothing and was just about to turn back when Gandalf quietly announced his plans. Elessar had nodded gravely, as if he understood completely, but Rai had been frozen with horror. Gandalf? Leave without her? Why? Why did he have to go? He said he would stay, always be there to teach Rai the true names of each star and the moon and sun and the wide open seas till the ends of the earth. That he would be there with her as she learnt about the history of Middle-Earth and of the Last Alliance and The War of the Ring and all the happenings of the Third Age and before.  
  
Then, filled with sadness and despair and fury, she ran. As she ran the fury began to build above all else. Of course; when tears are spent and there is no more will to feel the sadness, anger rises above all other emotion. She ran back to her small chamber, feeling betrayed and broken, took her staff and rode North with Silpion. At first she hadn't known where to go, but she soon found council with the elves in Lothlorien, and that had calmed her soul.  
  
When she was finally confronted by Gandalf about the issue, she had turned away, but then he had told her this: That she had a choice, that she could come with him to the Grey Havens if she wished; or she could live out the rest of her life in Middle-Earth, helping the peoples re-build and help nurture peace. She had not answered him.  
  
Now, as they rode in silence in the never ceasing rain, she thought about her decision. She had learnt much from Gandalf, but was nowhere near to being as wise or as powerful as he. Who would teach her when he was gone? Then again, what would Middle-Earth do when it was wizard-less and say another evil arose?  
  
Frustrated, she shoved the thoughts to the corner of her mind and focused on coming up with a magewind strong enough to push this foul weather away from her. Weather like this made her moody and brought out the part of her that no one ever saw : her temper.  
  
* * *  
  
Finally, when she though she had an idea of what sort of spell to use on the storm (a "cloudkill" spell, a favourite among weatherworkers) the rain began to recede. The clouds began to part and the storm broke at last.  
  
But Gandalf alone could not stop the in-coming ambush of black storm carriers. So Rai's voice joined his as they chanted a magewing against what looked to be almost a hurricane.  
  
"i Ruthaerea, morierea, Helkaer!  
  
Ring wing, asca melloneamin,  
  
khelek hurro'  
  
Rima rhun!  
  
Dina, soora 'ta hwesta! Asca Kela!  
  
LOOMI EN GURTH!"  
  
With their last cry, the banishing words of the cloudkill, a heavy wind rose up from the Western Seas, and the coal-black foreboding clouds began to draw away, bunching together while being blown back over the Misty mountains. They would continue to blow that way until they faded and dissolved over the Seas to the East.  
  
Rai smiled slightly before leaning over and loosing consciousness, still sitting on her horse.  
  
Legolas galloped up to her. "Gandalf!" he called. "What devilry is this?!"  
  
Gandalf came up to them. "There is no devilry at work here, Legolas. It is only that creating a magewind such as that one to banish storm clouds so far has taken much energy from her. She will need some time to recover."  
  
"She will ride with me," Legolas said firmly, setting his hands around Rai's small shoulders and lifting her onto his horse. Then Gandalf used a charm on Silpion to make him follow them steadily. Silpon would have followed them anyway, he was fiercely loyal to Rai.  
  
As they passed Trollshaw and went over the Last Bridge over the small Hoarwell River, Rai began to show signs of awakening. She finally came to, groggy and tired, just in time to say farewell to Legolas, who was to turn around and go back to Rivendell, then Mirkwood.  
  
Legolas gently helped her to the ground and she looked up at him with shiny eyes. "Thank you," she said.  
  
"No, thank you," Gandalf corrected her. "If it wasn't for you we would still be stuck in the rain back there."  
  
Legolas nodded. "Gandalf is right. And I am sorry to say good bye to you, my friends, but I must return to Mirkwood."  
  
"Will I ever see you again?" Rai asked quietly.  
  
Legolas cringed; he too had plans to cross the Sea, and it wasn't likely he'd be seeing the young sorceress again.  
  
Rai bowed her head and nodded. "I understand."  
  
Legolas smiled warmly at her, suddenly filed with hope. "We will meet again, I promise you. By then you will be an accomplished and powerful wizard of the highest standards and I will not even recognize you!"  
  
Rai beamed up at him. Legolas turned his horse and began to trod away. As he went he looked back over his shoulder.  
  
"Farwell, Mithrandir, Sunrai! Until next we meet! Namarie e Vanya sulie!"  
  
"Aa' I'sul nora lanne'lle," Rai called. "May the wind fill your sails. Farewell, Legolas."  
  
Authors endnote: Aww, isn't it so cute? I just wrote the last paragraph since I've been waiting all week to upload it. Anyway, more to come as soon as I can get all this damn homework out of my way. Namarie! 


	4. Abandoned Memories

Authors note: Yay! A review! thank you Nienna! Oh yeah, and you wanted to know whether this was a Legolas romance fic? Well, it's NOT! Nope! Just thought I'd add in everybody's favorite elf for a little flavorisme in Rivendell. Ya know what I mean. Anyway, thats all I gotta say right now, so plz enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Nobody. Not the last time I checked, anyway. Oh yeah, my WITCH- CHICK!!! YAY!!! Ha, try getting me NOW, lawyers!!! Muhahahahaha!!!!!! And anyway, you won't get anything out of me, just my weekly allowance. Ha ^_^  
  
  
  
-Abandoned Memories-  
  
Chapter 4, in which Gandalf is welcomed in Hobbiton, the Shire goes into an uproar, and Rai has a fevering dream of the past and future.  
  
  
  
  
  
The country side became more and more beautiful as Gandalf and Rai rode on Westward. The flat wetland became lush rolling hills, the thick, ugly dark firs of Trollshaw became wispy, leafy and green. The wind here was fair and the air fresh and untouched.  
  
Finally, Rai summoned up the courage to talk to Gandalf. "What is this place?" she asked.  
  
To her surprise, Gandalf smiled. "Of course, you do not remember. I brought you here when you were just a lass. We are very near to Chetwood, and moving towards Bree. We are nearly in the Shire."  
  
Rai's face lit up with excitement, and it showed considerably. "You mean the home of the Halflings?" she asked eagerly.  
  
Gandalf nodded.  
  
Rai was so ecstatic she held on to the reigns to tightly her knuckles went white. She had only been to the Shire once or twice before, and she didn't know much about it, let alone this area of the world, since she came from so far East. As a child the folk of her village would often tell her tales of the mysterious west beyond Mirkwood an the gray empty valleys and ruined, abandoned towers that had once belonged to great kings of men; and even of their foolish ancestors who had ventured away from they homes in search of adventure.  
  
Rai had always been eager to hear the tales of the strange lands, but she didn't really believe that it was empty. She had always thought that their was *something* there, something or someone, ghost or mortal.  
  
Her beliefs had been confirmed when Gandalf had taken her there for the first time. She had been but a child, a lass of eight summers. They had gone deep into the heart of the Shire and met some small, curious folk with pointy ears and big feet. Gandalf had told her it was to see a friend of his. It was before the war of the ring.  
  
Presently, as she thought of the now-famous Halflings, she began to remember names. She had indeed heard the songs sung under the light of the sunset in Gondor after Elessar had been made King, and she knew it was thanks to one of the creatures who called themselves hobbits, that the ring was destroyed.  
  
Gandalf watched her as she went over this in her mind. "No worries," he said cheerfully, "You will see them again soon enough."  
  
Rai snapped out of her thoughts and laughed softly. Gandalf knew her well; he could practically read her mind. She began to feel more relaxed, her worries already far away and her mind on the green fields and the queer folk of the land.  
  
It took them several days to pass Bree and get to the Brandywine; Bree was bustling busy as usual. Gandalf had insisted they drop by an inn called the Prancing Pony to see a few old acquaintances. He greeted the innkeeper merrily and re-introduced himself carefully, but it still took the memory- less barman a few tries till he remembered the old wizard.  
  
They had left Bree in a cheery mood and arrived at the Brandywine bridge. Before crossing, Gandalf decided to lead Rai south a bit, just to the edge of the Old Forest to get a glimpse of beautiful Brandy Hall.  
  
Rai had loved it, and the hobbits outside had given Gandalf warm welcomes, but had given Rai curious glances. Still, they were not curious by nature, and left her peace. The wizard even stopped to talk to them, and as Rai eavesdropped on their conversation (a great talent of hers, eavesdropping) she repeatedly heard the word "Hobbiton" mentioned. She assumed they were on their way there.  
  
The two riders moved back Northward and returned to the Brandywine Bridge. They crossed over and found a road that seemed to lead forever on through the empty fields.  
  
The three day journey along what Gandalf called the "East Road" was pleasant but tiring. Rai was longing to get to ... wherever Gandalf needed to get and see the Halflings.  
  
By noon the following day the reached the little town of Bywater and began to move Northwest up towards Bywater Pool. At the Pool, Rai insisted they stop, and she dismounted her horse and began to add to the Pool, and tree here, a meadow there, until finally she was satisfied. Then she mounted her horse once again and they were off to Hobbiton.  
  
When they finally entered he Hobbiton area, they were met by an excited crowd of hobbits. Apparently Gandalf had been expected.  
  
They may have been excited to see Gandalf, but they looked at Rai almost nervously. It was starting to get unbearable until finally Gandalf brought up the subject and explained to them that this was the young lass they had seen so many years ago. Most of them were astonished and began to be a little more at ease in her company. She finally decided it was time to show them what she could really do.  
  
It was evening, and she and Gandalf had stopped by along the road before proceeding to Bag Eng. Rai gathered a group of young-looking hobbits around her.  
  
"I'm going to show you all something," she whispered to them, looking at the little children. They looked back at her eagerly.  
  
She knelt down on the ground in front of her and placed her two hands on a brown patch of grass, a rare finding in the Shire. The sun was almost down but she could still grab some stardust before it completely vanished. Using spells without the presence of sunlight greatly drained her power.  
  
She spread her hands wide over the patch of dry vegetation, much in the same fashion as she had done in Lothlorien. The ground under her hands began to glow gold.  
  
Some of the older hobbits were alarmed and began to pull the children behind them, but Rai signaled for them to stop. They watched her hesitantly.  
  
She closed her eyes and focused for a moment, then , pleased with her spell, she lifted her hands, and a beautiful gold and white flower rose and began to bloom before their very eyes.  
  
The hobbits gasped and the children squealed with delight. Rai rose and brushed herself off. As began to back away into the crowd, a hobbit pushed forward to face her.  
  
"That was marvelous," the hobbit said with a gasp. "What an eye opener."  
  
"Thank you," Rai said.  
  
"I'm Sam Gamgee." The hobbit held out a hand. "I do the gardening over at Bag End."  
  
Rai, recognizing the name, took the hobbit's hand. "Pleased to meet you," she said merrily.  
  
"Actually," Sam said, "We've met before. Not that you remember or anything, but I saw you that time Mister Gandalf broughtch'ya here."  
  
Rai smiled. "Really?"  
  
Sam nodded and his cheeks flushed red from excitement.  
  
"I could take ya over to the Green Dragon if you'd like and get something refreshing."  
  
Rai, relieved and grateful to have met such a wonderful hobbit who apparently suggested the right things at the right time, nodded and followed him eagerly up the road.  
  
It took them about five minutes or so to get to the Green Dragon, a bright little structure of oak and mahogany, designed with the classical hobbit love for anything round. It was a fair amount bigger than the hobbit holes and housed an excited crowd inside.  
  
Sam held the door open for her and, bowing her head slightly to avoid banging on the door frame, entered. The room fell almost completely quiet but Sam signaled for the hobbits to continue their conversation.  
  
He brought her over to the counter and the settled themselves onto stools next to two other hobbits Sam seemed to know them and had a word before turning to introduce them.  
  
"Miss," he said a little shyly. "I'd like to introduce two of my friends here." He turned to the older-looking one of the two. "This here'd be Merry Brandybuck of Buckland."  
  
The hobbit with the hazel eyes and dirty-blonde hair leaned over and greeted Rai merrily. She smiled back, charmed.  
  
Sam turned to the other one who looked fairly younger and slimmer than the other. He had rosy cheeks and a head of brown curls and turquoisy eyes. Rai could sense a mischievous air to him.  
  
"And this is Pippin Took." The hobbit named Pippin stared curiously at Rai and seemed to deduce her in some sort of way. He finally seemed to be satisfied that she was no threat and they were introduced.  
  
The night passed on merrily and they hung around outside for a while until the two hobbits retired for the night and finally Sam left her. Rai waited a while, then went back down to the road where she had left Silpion. She saddles him and went to meet Gandalf.  
  
  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The next day, Gandalf proceeded to go to Bag End and Rai was introduced once again to Frodo, the hobbit they sang of so much in the white city. She didn't stay for long though, but decided to go down to see Sam and the other hobbits from the previous night.  
  
She wandered down into an area heavy with vegetation and such and strolled about until she was confident she'd gotten herself lost.  
  
She was just about to turn around and go the other way when a voice called: "Oi, Rai! Over here!"  
  
She spun around and almost ran into a tree. She made her way around until she stumbled into a clearing where, in plain sunshine, the three hobbits sat, relaxed and happy.  
  
"So this is where you've been," Rai said, gazing at them and then to the shade. As much as she loved the sun, it was starting to get hot. So, feeling suddenly quite light-headed and tired, she plopped herself under a tree and drifted away, fast asleep.  
  
  
  
*Noises, coming from everywhere. Sounds. Screams. Cries. What were they? She couldn't recognize them, couldn't make sense, couldn't think straight. The red light - what was happening?  
  
She ran. Kept running, feet pounding tirelessly. She wanted to go back, but .. What was it again? Oh yes, he had said, he had said she had to go. She didn't want to, had protested, but what could she do against him? He would only get mad and she didn't like that. It made her cry.  
  
She felt something stinging her eyes. Was it the gray, thick mist that had taken them, taken everyone, taken them so that they couldn't find the fresh air, that the gray fog consumed everything, that blocked out the moon. That stung. It stung her eyes and her nose and her throat. She tried not to breath, but she was gasping for breath now.  
  
Where was she going? She couldn't see ahead; but it didn't really matter. There was nothing ahead, only the mist, the mist and that horrible dancing red light, light as hot as the sand on a summer day. That horrible light, why wouldn't it go away? It had taken the others, taken them away, filling the air with terrifying screams of anguish that made her blood run cold.  
  
Then she saw it: that pretty tree, the tree she had planted all by herself last year. It had grown so big and beautiful, and mother had been so proud, and she had sat under it or in its branches everyday, resting in the cool shade.  
  
But now, that beautiful tree that glowed so lovely was surrounded, surrounded by the dancing lights.  
  
She stopped in her tracks and stood frozen, looking at the tree. She cried out to it; and it cried back. Help me, it said desperately, reaching out for her. She tried to touch it, but the dancing flames leaped out at her. They moved closer to the tree, mocking her, laughing at her helplessness. She stood there, unable to move, and watched as the flames slowly crawled up the trunk, then consumed the tree entirely, and the night sky was broken by the screams of pain that were eventually lost in the roar of the light, their souls lost.  
  
She felt the stinging come back to her eyes now, and she saw the gray mist began to thicken and rise. She fell to her knees and tried to move, but she couldn't. She couldn't stand up or run or breathe. Everything had stopped. It didn't matter anymore.  
  
Then she saw the faces. "What is it?" she asked. These faces, they were never there. Why were they here now? Reliving this the same way every moon; why was it different now?  
  
The faces; she recognized them. She knew them from somewhere. Where? She asked. Why? So many questions. So many empty answers. So much silence.  
  
The dancing light grew now, grew and took a form. A massive beast with a hooked beak and talons made of light and darkness and everything of nightmares.  
  
The beast descended on these people, these faces that she knew. She tried to call out to them; tried to warn them, but they couldn't hear. The tree could. The tree always heard and listened. Why didn't they?  
  
As the beast descended, the figures realized the peril and moved away. All but one. It couldn't move. Like her, it was frozen in fear.  
  
The shadow reached the ghost or whatever it was, and it began to fall away. There was no scream this time; jut whispers, whispers of wind and images that began to fill her head, flash in front of her eyes so fast they were nothing but a blur of motion and color. But there was no color now. Red was not a color. It was a nightmare.  
  
The stinging in her eyes came back now, and she realized why her eyes stung. And why they reflected only red. The nightmares. She saw them with her scarlet eyes. They were forever. But the tears, they were not.  
  
"Why do you cry inside?" the voices asked.  
  
"Because. Because I cannot cry anymore; because all my tears are spent on the nightmares of long ago. There are no more tears. None left. But the nightmares, the crimson nightmares.  
  
They are forever."  
  
  
  
She woke with a start, her brow hot and wet, her cloak soaked. She rubbed her eyes vigorously, trying to make the images go away. It was no use. Those images were burned into her mind. Always had been, always would be.  
  
She laid back and looked up at the sky. The moon was up, crystal clear in the indigo sky. No gray fog. No dancing red light.  
  
She looked around the clearing and could only barely make out the dark outlines of the hobbits. They were still there. They too had fallen asleep, a calm and serene look on their faces. No shadow creature.  
  
Rai took a shaky breath and tried to relax. She closed her eyes reluctantly, and her field of vision was suddenly flooded with red. But the river slowly subsided, leaving room only for a dark and dreamless sleep. 


	5. Ignis Aqua

Of Gold in Silver Seas  
  
AU: Hello once again! It seems I've gotten some more reviews. I apologize to "fool of a took", yes, I know, this story is a bit confusing, but all will be unravelled sooner or later. I'm also thinking of doing a history of Rai, just to clear things up for anyone who wants to know where she came from and so on. Oh, and there was supposed to be a dream sequence in the last chapter, but due to my screwy computer, it got messed up. It was supposed to be in italics, but I don't know how to do them. Anyway, there should be two or three more chapters to go and then I'm moving back to my other fic, Light in the Darkness, for a while.  
  
Disclaimer: I went and stole the LOTR characters. Now they're all MINE. But don't worry, I'll share ^_^ But yes, I do own LOTR.  
  
Rai, Pippin, Merry and Sam: Uh, no you don't  
  
Me: I don't? *runs off sobbing*  
  
-Ignis Aqua-  
  
Chapter five, in which Rai finds the meaning to her nightmare.but can she be I time to stop a catastrophe? ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~**~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
Rai woke once again to fid herself drenched in, not sweat this time, but dew. She rubbed her crimson eyes and looked up at the sky. It was a sky of dust. Dawn was not anywhere on the horizon.  
  
The wizard sniffed the air. "Rain," she thought. The scent of rain was heavy on the wind and approaching fast. But it was not a dangerous rain. It would be something calm and warming. A fine day to be out and working some magic, despite the absence of the sun.  
  
She rolled over and scanned her surroundings. The hobbits were still there, resting peacefully. She wondered if they knew they had been there all night.  
  
Rai rose steadily and brushed herself off. She shook her long hair of dew, purposely letting it fall on the hobbits.  
  
The youngest one, who was closest to her, began to stir, and Rai could see his eyelids began to flutter open. The other one did the same, but Sam remained immobile.  
  
Rai, trying to suppress a smile, reached for her staff which she had lain against the tree. She grabbed it and gently nudged Sam in the side. He stirred and opened an eye and murmured something inaudible.  
  
"Oi," Merry muttered from behind her. "What time is it?"  
  
"Not even time for breakfast yet," Rai answered cheerily. "But come, let's see what we can find deeper in these woods. Perhaps something sweet from a tree."  
  
Pippin and Merry looked at each other. It escaped them completely how she could be in such a good mood at this time. On top of that fact, they didn't even now exactly what time it was. But, feeling uplifted by her presence, they followed, along with Sam, without question.  
  
They wandered through the woods aimlessly, occasionally stopping at Rai's nagging to marvel at some tree, on which she would grow the reddest apples they had ever seen. Not long after they had left thy were in a merry mood and ready to go anywhere.  
  
Merry, suddenly feeling thirsty despite the juicy fruit (*no pun intended to bubblegum^_^*) stopped where he was. The others took notice and turned to face him. An idea suddenly came to him and it showed in his features.  
  
"What is it?" the wizard asked.  
  
Merry hesitated and thought for a moment.  
  
"I have an idea."  
  
"Well, out with it already!" Pippin demanded impatiently.  
  
"Well," Merry said, a hint of excitement in his voice "I've heard stories . err, rumours, about a waterfall around these parts. Deep in the forest. Something tropical-like. A creek that flows into a stream that turns into a rushing river that falls over rocks into a big pool. I think I might know the way."  
  
The three of them just stared. Merry shifted uncomfortably, thinking he'd said something wrong. Then, a mischievous smile crept over Rai's features.  
  
"Well then, Master Meriadoc, lead on."  
  
Merry grinned and scampered ahead of them. Soon, he was leading them down a narrow path that had obviously been walked on before. He expertly took turns and forks in the road, leading them deeper into the forest. The clouds above began to recede, but not before giving them one or two warm showers.  
  
Pippin, now thoroughly soaked with sweat and rain, raised an eyebrow at Merry. "Are you sure you know where you're going?"  
  
"Fear not, Master Took, well be there soon enough."  
  
Pippin rolled his eyes at Merry's teasing tone and muttered something inaudible under his breath. Rai nudged him cheerily and he looked at her. She met his eyes and something struck. She was frozen for a moment, and her eyes widened as she looked at his face, so familiar, so familiar but from where she couldn't quite place. He watched her eyes, his filling with confusion, but she broke the haunting stare and shook her head, smiling slightly. Then she turned away, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind.  
  
She continued to walk, a little out of stride, the meaningless chatter of the hobbits reaching her ears but not registering in her brain. She knew she had seen something then, in those aqua eyes filled only with what could be child-like innocence. Something had struck her speechless, and not many things did that.  
  
She hardly noticed when the hobbits had stopped, nearly crashing into a tree. Startled out of her dark thoughts, she looked up. This was no ordinary tree. Instead of the dark emerald leaves, these were a radiant spring green, littered with pink flowers, and they were *enormous*. The leaves were as big as Rai's head.  
  
She looked up at them, utterly mystified, for the first time in her life. She had never seen anything like this.  
  
The hobbits were as shocked as Rai, if not more. They didn't even know something like this existed. It was totally against the flatland fir-tree characteristics of the Shire. Nothing like this grew in the North.  
  
In the centre of the little oasis was a glittering pool of crystal clear water. And cascading over it was a marvellous waterfall.  
  
It was beautiful. The four of them were frozen with wonder, their eyes greedily taking in everything.  
  
Rai was the first to tear her eyes away from the scene. Spurred by some deep childhood curiosity, she drew up some energy from within her and muttered a few words. Suddenly, she was springing away from the hobbits as if she could fly. She leaped over the water from rock to rock as if the rocks were rubber. She even landed *on* the water, making the smallest ripple like she weighed nothing.  
  
Rai had never felt anything like this before. She leaped back onto a rock, and from there flew up to a ledge on the waterfall. She sprung from ledge to ledge as if they were steps, and finally reached the top of the waterfall.  
  
The hobbits watched her with amazement. Eager to follow, the scrambled over the rock with ease and found their way up the slope. Rai didn't even need to help them.  
  
They found her at the top, looking over the scene. The huddled close and just stood there, letting the wind blow ever which way. The sun had come out, and it shined on the little oasis, making the water sparkle like diamonds.  
  
The wizard, energized to her fullest, carefully slid down the edge and went through the waterfall, landing n a cave. The others were left dumbfounded for a moment but soon found that there was footing *under* the curtain of water, and followed.  
  
Pippin, being the curious hobbit that he was, wandered to the edge. He ran his hand under the waterfall, eyes sparkling with wonder. He didn't notice as he floated closer to the edge of the pounding falls.  
  
The others gazed deep into the cave, but did not go near the entrance. The hobbits were uneasy with it, so Rai stayed well away from it as well.  
  
Then an idea came to her. She thought of a spell that would strengthen the water, a weather-workers spell that she had been told of but forbidden to learn or use. Apparently it caused great marvels in the sky and the user had control of the weather from then on until the spell wore off. Of course, she had read it over many times, and knew it by heart. Now, thinking her power was great enough, she decided to try it. She raised her staff and began the chant.  
  
"Ergo,  
  
oceanus, maritimus,  
  
ergo  
  
opacare, matutinus,  
  
ergo  
  
septentrio, meridies,  
  
ergo  
  
occidens et orientis,  
  
ergo  
  
oceanus, maritimus,  
  
opacare, matutinus,  
  
septentrio, meridies,  
  
occidens et orientis,  
  
ergo  
  
terra, stella,  
  
hiems et aestas,  
  
ergo  
  
autumnus et  
  
tempus vernum,  
  
ergo  
  
radius solis  
  
et umbra,  
  
ignis, aqua  
  
caelum, luna,  
  
terra, stella,  
  
hierns et aestas,  
  
autumnus et  
  
tempus vernum..."  
  
As she finished the chant, a bolt of lightning struck down from the heavens above and cracked loudly, spilling flames and embers into the forest. Trees were caught on fire, but the pouring rain that came after put most of the embers out.  
  
Except for one.  
  
The ember rose and became a flame, and the flame expanded into wings. A creature rose from the ashes, a crimson figure alight with flame, crimson like Rai's eyes. She saw it then; the monster from her dreams. It looked at her with its piercing eyes . *her* eyes. It had her eyes. Then it rose into the air and flew at them.  
  
Te hobbits looked at it wide eyed, frozen with fear. Rai grabbed them and shoved them further back into the cave. Then she saw her mistake.  
  
*Pippin!*  
  
The young hobbit was paralysed with fear. He stood at the edge, staring unmoving into the eyes of the oncoming behemoth.  
  
Rai leaped forward, away from the other hobbits, in Pippin's direction. She reached him just as the firebird reached out its talons. The water seemed on fire for a moment as the beast swivelled, turning away, and came back once again. Rai stood next to Pippin, staff in front of her. The creature came around and lunged them. This time, she was ready. The waved her staff like a sword at the beast. It shrieked and spit flame, which made Rai back away in fear.  
  
That was her mistake.  
  
As soon as she had backed away, it swooped and the ledge and crashed into head on. The rock formation shook.  
  
"NO!!!"  
  
The ground under Pippin's feet began to crumble. He tried to back away, but found he couldn't move. The rock finally gave way. The firebird shrieked triumphantly as the hobbit began to fall into the flaming pit below.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~~*~~*~*~~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~**~  
  
I'm sorry this chapter's so short, and I know, I know, I left you hanging, but HA! I'm already working on the next chapter, so I won't leave you hanging for too long. And if you're wondering, Ignis Aqua is roughly translated in celtic to "fire, water". And if you're THAT curious and you want to know what the song means (trust me, the English version is really cool and creepy) just ask and I'll translate it for you. 


	6. The Sky is Broken

Of Gold in Silver seas chapter …. Uh …what chapter is this again? Six, right?

One chapter or so left after this!!!!!

Chapter 6, in which Rai must undo her mistake and face her worst fear (dramatic, I know.)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

   Fire, everywhere.

   "PIPPIN!"

   A shrill scream from behind her. A swift movement, but not swift enough to miss. She held out her staff and halted the struggling figure. A cry of protest came and desperate struggling.

_ "Do something!"_

Do something?

  Oh.

  Suddenly reality came flooding back to her eyes as time seemed to resume its normal flow. She could see everything : The two hobbits at the back of the cave, trying desperately to get past her to the edge, or at least get her to help. The smallest one was before her, hanging on barely and struggling with failing strength to get a proper grip on the crumbling rock face under the boiling falls, and the creature; the massive, winged creature of pure fire and hate and violence.

   The creature awakened such fear in her heart. A fear she hadn't felt since the last time they met. She saw it her dreams, yes, every night; and she felt fear. But whatever fear she had felt in her dreams before was now doubled and trebled and multiplied a hundredfold. She felt a nausea of the soul, a hideous and sickening despair, a melancholy weariness so profound that she was going to die of it.

   The beast flapped its massive wings and came around again, shrieking its ear-splitting cries. This made Rai shrink back in fear again, but despite her horror, she was still inching, little by little, towards the cliff edge.

  Whatever Rai was feeling, it was beyond the hobbits. All their fear was forgotten now, and their eyes were fixed on Pippin, who, despite his efforts, was slowly sliding down the rock wall.

   They wanted to just push past Rai, to get down to the little hobbit and pull him back up. Forget the monstrous bird; Pippin was their chief concern. But somehow, though they tried, they could not will themselves to get past the wizard. It was not fault of their will, no, they could have easily pushed past her; but somehow, she was not letting them.

   _Do something!_

The cry echoed in Rai's mind, meaningless and faint. Without thinking, she raised her staff before her in defence, and cried out.

   _"Tua amin!"_

   "Help me!"

    She did not expect anyone to hear her plea; she did not even know why she had uttered it in the first place. But as the creature wheeled and flew directly toward her, she felt new strength flow through her limbs and raised her staff higher.

    "I am a servant of the Secret Fire," she whispered quickly. "Wielder of the flame of Anor …"

    She felt this new strength grow, and the firebird began to slow as it approached.

   _"Amin n'tess uuvanimo …"_

_   "I hold you now, monster …"_

_   " … naur tinchor ostring naar cam …"_

_   " …I freeze your burning hands …"_

_   "Go back to the shadow, flame of Ud__ûn!"_

_  "Morier!"_

   A silver light began to envelope Rai, seemingly coming from her staff. She thrust it forward, sending the rays of light directly towards her foe. The monster screamed and thrashed, contorting its burning wings until it could flap them no longer, and it began to fall.

   Rai let out a great sigh and dropped her staff. Trying to keep on her feet, she rush forward to the collapsing stones where Pippin was quickly losing his grip. She slid on her hands and knees, extending her arm over the edge towards the hobbit.

   "Pippin!"

   The hobbit, who's eyes were firmly shut from making such an effort to hold on, blinked and looked up. He looked so stunned he almost lost his grip, but reached forward just enough for Rai to grab his hand. Using all that was left of her strength, she hauled him onto the cliff ledge, helped by the two other hobbits. The immediately took shelter in the dark cave as what felt like a massive earthquake rocked the entire landscape, as the great firebird crashed, ruined and defeated, into the boiling pool at the bottom.

   Rai slowly crawled out of the low cave and glanced around. The sky was slowly fading from blood-red to what looked like the color of dust, if dust had a color. She turned back to the three hobbits, curled up together against the wall. The youngest one watched her with glazed, wary eyes, and she realized that they were all exhausted and still a little frightened, and she needed to get them home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  __


	7. Silver Embers

Of Gold in Silver Seas Chapter 7 (it _is _chapter 7, right?)

In which Rai must make her final decision.

LAST CHAPTER!

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   "So it was all a test then, was it?" Rai said, incredulous. She paced around the room, her staff thwacking the floor in an aggressive rhythm.

   "Yes," Gandalf said slowly. "and no."

   Rai stopped. "What do you mean, yes and no? I want a straightforward answer, Gandalf. I want to know whether my prancing around Middle Earth learning the ways of the Istari is someone else's game. Am I just a pawn?"

   Gandalf looked at her gravely. "I do not wish to be spoken to that way, Sunrai. Patience, and some silence, and I will answer your question."

   Rai grumbled and resumed pacing, but set her staff aside. She went to the window and looked out. The lights of Hobbiton glowed cheerily in the dark, and sounds of merriment were thick in the summer's air.

   They were at Bag End, the house empty aside from them. Frodo had gone down to see Merry and Pippin and Sam. Pippin had recovered quite a bit from the shock, but he would still glance around suspiciously when Rai was around. The wizard found this sort of hurtful. She regretted coming to the Shire in the first place. She was still gloomy, and that made her snappish.

   She turned away from the window. "Please, Gandalf. I don't understand."

   Gandalf smiled. It was not so long ago, in this exact house, when Frodo had said the same thing to him. Gandalf had told Frodo that neither he understood. But now, he did.

    "The creature you slew," Gandalf began slowly, "was not a creature of flesh and blood, nor of fire, as you may think. It was not created from any evil this world has known."

    "Then … then what was it?" Rai asked.

    Gandalf sighed. "It was a embodiment of your own fear. Ever since that fire in your hometown, your own fear has been haunting you. And since you have Maiar blood, such a powerful fear is able to take living form. That fear has been haunting you too long. It haunted your dreams – it haunted your dreams so much its very image was burned into your eyes."

   Rai blinked her crimson eyes, speechless.

   "So in one way, yes, you could say it was a test. A test to see whether you could conquer your fear in such a desperate situation. And it was a fortunate thing that you did, or else that young hobbit might not still be with us. I think it is fair to say that you have past your test."

   Somehow Rai did not find these words comforting. In truth, she felt as if she were being torn up inside.

   "But what good was this test, then, Gandalf? I used the spell I was forbidden to, I put the Halflings in danger …" She choked on her words, and fell into a chair. "Gandalf … now it comes to it … I don't know if I want to leave … I don't know if I even _can_ leave …"

   Gandalf sighed heavily. "You are always welcome to come with me Sunrai, but I cannot decide your place in this world. Only you can decide your true path. Let fate be your guide, but always remember that wherever the road leads, you will never be alone."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

   The winds blew a grey fog onto the land, a swirling mist, but they found their way nonetheless, through forest and paths. They rode in silence, for this was the last stretch of their journey, and if one strained their eyes hard enough, they could maybe catch a glimpse of the shimmering sea to the West.

    Elrond and Galadriel rode with them, and many Elves of High Kindred. Halflings were also with them : Bilbo, and Frodo and Sam. Gandalf rode up front with the Elves, but Rai stayed behind the company, lost in her own thoughts. She thought she had made her decision, but whenever she thought of reconsidering, the other alternative always seemed the better.

   At last the sea was visible through the fog; the large boats with the shimmering white sails in the calm water, beached in the cool silver sand. Everything around them seemed to be a sort of grey or white.

   The company dismounted, and as the hobbits climbed down from their rides, two other ponies came galloping up the sand banks. Merry and Pippin slid off in great haste.

   Rai watched from the shadows as Frodo said his farewells to Merry and Pippin, and last of all Sam, and as he made his was to the boats, Gandalf appeared next to him. He said something to the Halflings, then turned to Rai. He did not need to speak; she knew what he meant.

  She stepped up past the hobbits and looked him in the eyes. Then she took a great, shaky breath, and spoke.

   "Gandalf," she said. "Mithrandir. I would follow you to the ends of the earth, as your apprentice, as your pupil, as your friend; you know that. But now … " She looked at the boats. "But now … I think I find … I may have been wrong about leaving."  She looked at the hobbits. "I want to be here to help them. I want to be a part of Middle Earth. I know the Elves are leaving; but maybe if I stay here, there can still be someone to keep the leaves of Lothlorien gold, and to help the flowers of the Shire grow ..." She closed her eyes. "My place is here."

    Gandalf looked at her with the utmost understanding, but there was a sadness in his eyes. "Then you shall stay here, Sunrai the Silver, to make the lands of this world ever green, and when you do decide to pass on, and become a memory and no more, then I shall be waiting for you."

   They embraced briefly, and she did so with a few other elves that she knew as well, and even with the Halflings. And she stayed; she stayed with Merry and Pippin and Sam as the last, faint glitter of the boats vanished into the west, to the Undying Lands. As the fog began to crawl back in towards the shore, the only thing visible from the boats was the faint glitter of her staff and her crimson eyes, wet with tears. She closed them.

  "_Vanya sulie_, Mithrandir," she said. "Fair winds."

   As the turned, one by one, away from the waters, Rai opened her eyes and looked at them one last time. And this time, her eyes were not crimson; they were a beautiful and delicate silver, shimmering against the white of the sea.

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